Saturday, April 20, 2013

King's Speech: R is for REQUIREMENT

Regular readers of The Shellshank Redemption know how much I enjoy a good quote (see Motivational Mondays) and that I’m a huge fan of Stephen King (see the King of All Days Part I and Part II.) So, for the 2013 A-Z Challenge, I decided to combine the two, using some of my favorite King quotes about reading, writing and life in general. Enjoy!

*****

A little talent is a good thing to have if you want to be a writer. 
But the only real REQUIREMENT is the ability to remember every scar. 
(Stephen King)

I remember moments of being teased when I was a kid - what was said, who said it, and how my stomach lurched and my cheeks burned with embarrassment and shame, even as I tried to pretend it wasn’t happening.

I can tell you when I felt like an outsider even among family and friends. I remember when I felt ugly, when I acted ugly. I can tell you when I was hurt, when I did the hurting. I remember heartbreak.

Scars leave their mark - on the inside and the outside - but they also, in their own way, are a form of healing. Many of my stories are rooted in those scars, but they ultimately grow into something else, something more than the old pain and hurt. They reach higher, see the sunlight, and blossom into a new creation all its own. 

15 comments:

  1. Still not sure where the story lines of my books came from or how I was even able to write them since I really don't have any deep scars from life.

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  2. Some of those hurts weave their way into my characters too--but most I suspect comes from a wild imagination. Just visiting in the A-Z and saying hi.

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  3. Ohh.. What lovely thoughts.
    My scars do definitely show up in my writing sometimes. Nothing published, yet :) But they are there..

    Congrats on finishing week 3!

    AJ Lauer
    #atozchallenge helper minion
    Twitter: @ayjaylauer

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  4. Sharon - for me, it's a combination. Thanks for Following!

    AJ - thank you! And thanks for visiting! :)

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  5. I think that's why we like scarred, flawed characters so much, too. Another fine A2Z post, Madeline!

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  6. Milo - I think you're right because those are definitely some of my favorite kinds of characters.

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  7. Milo makes a great point about scarred characters, those are often my favorites too. Hope you're enjoying your weekend Madeline! :)

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  8. Julie - hope your weekend has been a good one!

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  9. I'm convinced it's the scars that make us better writers and more empathetic humans.

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  10. I never thought of scars as a form of healing. I think it is often easier to forgive than to forget but you know you have to otherwise you end up toxic.

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  11. Kate - good point about the scars making us more empathetic.

    Speeding Turtle - I agree about it being easier to forgive. I still struggle with the forgetting part.

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  12. Some times it's the best therapy. ;)

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  13. I think that's part of what it's all about - being able to look at our experiences, good or bad, and make some sense of them.

    Barbara
    T is for Triple Play: Two Teasers and Time's Running Out
    The Daille-y News

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